NCJ Number
215634
Date Published
2006
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This chapter instructs law enforcement officers in how to search buildings for suspects who may be armed and may be inclined to attack officers to avoid arrest.
Abstract
When considering the advisability of searching a building for a suspect, the first question to ask is whether a K-9 officer and his/her dog might do the search better and more safely. Although this is generally recommended, the chapter discusses those circumstances and cautions that should be considered when making this decision. The chapter then considers how suspects usually plan to avoid arrest when entering a building. They either go to the farthest point of a building from where they believe officers will enter; or if armed and intent on firing at officers when they enter the building, they will position themselves near where they expect officers to enter the building. In either case, officers should enter the building at an unlikely spot when beginning their search. Entry points and entry techniques are described. A discussion of the equipment that might be used in a search focuses on lights and mirrors. While searching for a suspect, an officer must be able to shoot accurately and rapidly when necessary. One section of this chapter discusses the best shooting positions at various locations and circumstances of a building search. The chapter also instructs officers in what to do after a hidden suspect has been located, tactics for responding to a search-team member who has been shot by the suspect, and how to deploy members of a search team at difficult locations during the search. The difficult locations considered are subfloors and crawl holes under houses, false ceilings, elevators and elevator shafts, and trash containers and shelves.